This post contains spoilers for The Electric State.Halfway through The Electric State, our hero Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) and her friends are captured by enemy robots and brought to their leader. The robots, who have been formed to look like vaudeville performers, lead Michelle and her friends to the stronghold: a rotted out mall, complete with a food court, pay phones, and a Sears. There they meet the leader of the robot resistance Mr. Peanut.As the group makes their way through the mall, the camera focuses on Michelles look of wonder at the world around her, accompanied by warm, wondrous notes in Alan Silvestris score. For a moment, Michelle feels the pangs of nostalgia, the sense of something lost when robots rose up against their masters in the movies fictional 1990, which in turn led to a civil war. In the aftermath of the conflict, robots live in a quarantined wasteland while humans spend most of their time in virtual reality, their bodies wasting below the VR headsets strapped to their faces.If that sounds familiar, well, thats because nothing in The Electric State is new or original. And in this particular instance, The Electric State is riffing heavily on Ready Player One, the 2018 Steven Spielberg film that regularly ranks near the bottom of the legendary auteurs oeuvre.Yet as hated as Ready Player One is among cineastes and those sick of 1980s Gen-X nostalgia, that definite overload of member berries still looks like a masterpiece next to The Electric State. And thats not just because the Russo Brothers arent Spielberg (who is?). Its because Ready Player One retains a genuine sense of loss as it rummages through the past, something that The Electric State cant even fake. In the end, The Electric State is the movie all the detractors claimed Ready Player One to be: the bitter end point of cinema in the IP age.Going the Wrong WayBased on the novel by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One also takes place in a near-future where most people live in a virtual reality world called the OASIS after societys rapid decline. Many of the OASIS inhabitants participate in a search for the Golden Easter Egg, a special treasure designed by the virtual realitys creators James Halliday (Mark Rylance). Its also a key to the late Hallidays fortune and control over the OASIS. In other words, its a glistening promise of fulfillment and happiness in an empty world.In one of the movies standout set-pieces, contestants have a race to find the next clue leading to the Eggs location. The sequence is all Spielberg bravura filmmaking, an incredibly chase in which vehiclesincluding the DeLorean from Back to the Future, the motorbike from Akira, and monster truck Bigfootfly down a road filled with explosions, wrecking balls, the T-Rex from Jurassic Park, and of course King Kong. Its thrilling stuff and never illegible thanks to Spielbergs understanding of spacial dynamics and the audiences relationship to the camera.Delightful as the race is, it always ends in failure. No one can figure out how to get past Kong, who swipes away cars as they reach the finish line. That is until protagonist Parzival (Tye Sheridan) visits the archives of the now-deceased Halliday and watches a conversation between him and the OASIS co-founder Osgood Morrow (Simon Pegg). While Morrow insists that technology, culture, and our very lives must move forward, Halliday wistfully wonders why we cant just go backwards.Spielbergs camera does one of his signature push ins as Parzival has a realization. Thats the answer. Go backwards. And in the next scene, we watch him go through the race again. But this time he doesnt continue to barrel forward when he gets to the end. Instead he goes backwards, unlocking the secret to winning the race.At first glance, the scene seems to be about Parzival being smarter than everyone else, and thus deserving of the status as champion. He has the pop culture knowledge to drive his DeLorean and the gaming smarts to approach the contest in a different way. Thus he is the hero. But as Ready Player One unfolds, it becomes clear that Halliday wasnt just trying to give a hint about the game. He was trying to warn his players against playing the game altogether, or at least devoting so much of their lives to video games and pop culture ephemera.Fake Lives, Real FeelingsThe quest in Ready Player One, both literally and figuratively, is about how all this pop culture stuff doesnt really matter. It might be fun for a bit, but it can become cancerous, growing at too great a rate until it overtakes our lives, distracting us from the things that really matter: the human friendships and relationships we live.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!That point feels all the more powerful coming from a director like Steven Spielberg, who in many ways is the source of the hyper pop culture that we have today. Although Spielberg limited references to his own work to the inclusion of the Jurassic Park T-Rex and an out-of-focus easter egg (heh) of a Raiders of the Lost Ark poster, his fingerprints are all over the movie, from an homage to his friend Stanley Kubrick with a sequence based on The Shining to the DeLorean from Back to the Future, a movie he produced. Altogether these elements give Ready Player One a deep sadness permeating through all the references. The movie doesnt praise pop culture. It buries it, ending with an order to shut the whole thing down and go outside.Contrived as the ending to Ready Player One is, its leagues better than the one in The Electric State, which tries a similar move. The Electric State also closes with the hero shutting down the VR network, complete with Michelle broadcasting a speech about how were all electric and were all connected, and how we all need to live in the real world. Its incredibly sappy, not just because its accompanied by a piano cover of Wonderwall by Oasis.Its sappy because no part of The Electric State has earned the emotional catharsis it wants. It just hopes that our prior attachments to the 90s rock song and to the faded 90s tech that Michelle uses would be enough to make us feel sad that were not 90s kids anymore. As much as the words that Michelle speaks are all about living in the present with other people, the movie is hoping that well live in the past and embrace nostalgia, because thats the closest thing to an actual emotion that the Russos can muster.For all of its faults, and it certainly does have them, Ready Player One has the courage to discard the past. It looks back at all of the stuff that came in the wake of Spielbergs career and criticizes it. Spielberg seems to admit, more than the Cline novel he adapts with the very author, that ephemera isnt the same as knowledge and connection. The Electric State, by contrast, reminds us just how hard it is to portray that type of self-awareness and human emotion. It reminds us that Ready Player One is a much better movie than we initially realized, and The Electric State is the worst.The Electric State is now streaming on Netflix.

SummaryHanoi Studios presented Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match in an inclusive support institution in Santo Andre, Brazil.How inclusive games bring benefits to neurodivergent individuals.Creator Luis Otavio shares the desire to bring this initiative to a wider range of educational institutes in Brazil.On February 8, 2025, Luis Otavio, co-founder of the Brazilian indie game publisher Hanoi Studios and developer of Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match, visited Centro de Apoio e Reforo Escolar (CARE), an inclusive support institution in Santo Andre, SP, Brazil. The studio introduced both the Board Game and the ID@Xbox Play Anywhere versions of Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match, as a support tool for the development of neurodivergent children.Fernanda Mombelli, neuropsychopedagogue and owner of the institution, emphasized the importance of early identification of a childs special needs. She also highlighted the key skills and educational stimuli that inclusive games provide for neurodivergent students.As a new release in the genre, Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match helps develop attention, concentration, memory, focus, and planning skills, functions in which neurodivergent individuals often face greater challenges.Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match is designed to offer a welcoming challenge to players, where the number of moves per level is not enforced, allowing for experimentation and problem-solving at your own pace. Check out what pedagogue and physical educator Alan Nobre had to say about this initiative:In early childhood education, we dont aim for high performance. We want this to be the happiest moment of a childs life, because we believe that a happy child learns more, develops more and thats our main goal.Take a deeper look at how inclusive games benefit neurodivergent individuals.A student with ADHD, anxiety disorder, stuttering, and socialization difficulties played the game, and Fernanda Mombelli documented and observed their engagement and learning process:Initially, with minimal guidance, the student quickly understood the objective of the game and demonstrated rapid progress through the early stages. However, upon reaching the intermediate stages, they encountered more complex challenges, which led to visible signs of anxiety, including stuttering. The game was paused, and the student was instructed to take a deep breath, observe, and click on each piece to explore the available paths before making a decision. With this structured approach, they gradually overcame their difficulties and continued progressing through the intermediate stages.Additionally, when engaging with the board game version in cooperative mode alongside two educators, they expressed great enthusiasm, stating that they loved the game and wanted to play more frequently during the sessions. This response not only highlighted their enjoyment of the activity but also indicated significant progress in their socialization skills, attention, concentration, and sense of belonging. It was a truly rewarding moment for all of us.What does the future of inclusive games look like for Luis?I want to develop more games with inclusion in mind and make this initiative reach a wider range of educational institutes in Brazil.If youre looking for more resources and tips for family gaming, visit xbox.com/family. You can learn more about what Xbox offers for families, including information about privacy and access to privacy tools, the Xbox Family Settings app and Community Standards.Play Hanoi Puzzles: Solid Match on Xbox and PC today! The game is available as an Xbox Play Anywhere game with cross save and Smart Delivery.Hanoi Puzzles: Solid MatchHanoi Studios$4.99Get it nowA new game concept inspired by the classic Tower of Hanoi. Assemble towers stacking pieces of the same color on a hexagonal board with a mysterious and relaxing atmosphere.Use the rules of the famous Tower of Hanoi puzzle,where a larger piece cannot be on top of a smaller one.Unlock blocked hexagonal cells by building a tower of the same color,to open new paths and advance in the resolution of the Level.

Baby Elon Musk. Shrimp Jesus. The Titanic colliding with an iceberg lettuce. Social media is saturated with AI slop low-quality, often ridiculous and sometimes disturbing images, videos, or words created using generative artificial intelligence.While some AI slop is glaringly fake, a lot isnt. I remember the first time AI hoodwinked me. It was a striking video I saw on Instagram of a pair of snowy owls in the Arctic with a brood of six little chicks. Amazed by the scene, I instantly shared it with my wife. Her response was: Surely that cant be real?!It wasnt. A quick review of the poster, Yournaturescenary which has over 230,000 followers on the platform revealed the video was indeed AI-generated. I felt fooled, conned, and ultimately, suspicious of every other image I saw online from that moment on.I used to use Instagram to follow creators and share my own photographs of nature and wildlife you know, images that I captured using an actual camera, with my actual human hands. But recently, scrolling through my feed has become less viewing pleasure and more spot-the-bot. Thats irritating, sure, but when AI images appear real they can also cause serious harm.All of this has forced me to seek an alternative. It turns out, Im not alone.The of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!The most frequent feedback we hear is that people are feeling overwhelmed by AI-generated images flooding mainstream platforms, Jingna Zhang, founder of Cara, a decentralised social media app for artists, tells TNW.But unfortunately, its a problem thats likely to get a lot worse before it gets better.Meta opens the AI floodgatesMeta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has embraced AI on its platforms, scrapped fact-checking, and even plans to allow bots to open their own accounts. And while Meta did start labelling AI-generated content last year, its algorithms have been shown to mistakenly label real images as bot-created ones and vice versa. The platform has also made it really easy to disable the label.But the cherry on the shitcake is that Meta openly uses public posts to train its algorithms. Althoughmost European users can opt out, since theyre protected by data protection laws, Meta automatically opts in all user accounts by default. Fuelled by all that free data, AI algorithms are rapidly improving hurting artists and creators. Its like learning valuable skills from a friend, using those skills to start a company together, and then cutting them out of the benefits ring any bells, Zuck?AI slop, bot accounts, little to no moderation its part of what writer Cory Doctorow coined the enshittification of the internet. But while many have just accepted the new reality, some creators are seeking refuge in safer corners of the internet.Cara has been one of the beneficiaries. When Meta announced plans to train AI models on user content last year, the apps user base grew from 40,000 to 650,000 users in a single week.They [artists] have been looking for a place where they can still experience genuine human-to-human connection in art and online communities, and thats how they found Cara, Zhang says.Putting artists firstZhang argues that new rules to protect creators online are essential.We believe that the rampant ethical and data privacy issues around these [AI] datasets urgently need to be resolved via regulations, and governments should explicitly clarify their positions or pass bills to protect artists and all individuals from such unauthorised use, says Zhang.Its a problem Zhang, whos an award-winning Singaporean photographer, knows all too well. She won a landmark appeal in a Luxembourg court last year over a painter who copied one of her photographs. Shes also suing Google for allegedly using her photographs to train its AI model Imogen without consent, and is a plaintiff in a similar case against Midjourney, Stability AI, Runway AI, and DeviantArt.Zhang launched Cara in 2023 as a sanctuary for artists looking to share and connect. The volunteer-run organisation has both a website and mobile app. Like Instagram, users can host a portfolio of work on their profile, post images, engage with others through likes and comments, and build a following. They also have a feed where they can post updates, similar to on X or BlueSky. The platform currently has 1 million users.Caras big selling point, however, is its policies on AI. All users are automatically opted out from AI bot-scraping by default, the company tells me. Cara also doesnt host generative AI content on the platform, and uses a combination of automated detection and human moderation to keep the site clean.For Zhang, curbing bots on the platform isnt just about user piracy, but also about protecting art itself. What makes art meaningful is knowing that a real person gave time from their life to hone a craft, practice, build skills, and wanted to express themselves so much that they created something through art, she says.So how does it compare with Instagram? Well, my first impressions are good. The app works smoothly, has a similar layout to other social media Ive used, and features content thats generally of high quality. Most of all, I can relax and take off my bot-spotting glasses, knowing that all the artworks were created by humans.However, Cara is clearly a place for artists sketchers, painters, graphic designers, and the like not photographers. For that, we tried another app Pixelfed.Not perfect, but not InstagramLaunched and run by Canadian developer Daniel Supernault, Pixelfed is an open-source, decentralised photo-sharing platform similar to Instagram but without ads or algorithms. As with Cara, AI-generated content is prohibited.Pixelfeds server rules upon sign upMuch like Instagram, Pixelfed enables users to share and discover photos and videos, as well as send direct messages. However, the feed is chronological posts are displayed in the exact order they were published. Thats like Instagram before 2016, when it switched to an algorithm-based feed that shows you the content it thinks you want to see.Despite having only 700,000 users on the platform, Pixelfed already hosts plenty of great photography. It feels raw and unfiltered, and the ad-free, AI-free experience allows you to focus on the content.The Pixelfed feedPixelfed runs on ActivityPub, an open protocol for social networking developed by Tim Berners-Lees World Wide Web Consortium.ActivityPub also powers other apps like microblogging site Mastodon founded by German developer Eugen Rochko and YouTube alternative PeerTube. Together they form part of the fediverse, a decentralised network that allows users to follow, share, and interact across different apps similar to email working between Gmail and Outlook.Pixelfeds user base grew rapidly following the release of its app on iOS and Android in January. For a short while after launch, it became the most downloaded social app on Google Play in the US and France.However, with Supernault the sole developer, plus the surge in traffic, there are inevitably some bugs. For one, my phones back button didnt work when using the app on Android, which meant I had to reach to the top-left to use the in-app button. The app also feels a bit slow.Supernault just raised over $90,000 through Kickstarter, so that might help him iron out some of the bugs or maybe even hire another dev or two.But as one Reddit user put it: People are moving to Pixelfed not because its perfect but because its not Instagram (I dont think anyone needs to explain why at this point). If staying on Instagram doesnt affect your values[,] dont make the move.So long, Instagram, Im off. Dear friends, will you join me? Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

A new startup called Skylark has taken flight today with TNW lending an extra set of wings.The company launches with a central mission: empowering non-technical founders to quickly create high-quality Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).To bring their plans to life, Skylark has created an AI-enhanced framework that promises rapid, efficient iteration cycles. Freelance developers apply the framework to build the MVP. While they code, Skylarks internal team handles the client acquisition.Every solution is customised for the founders objectives. By drawing from a pool of freelancers, Skylark can then find developers that fit each projects specific needs.The of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!The MVPs are designed to scale in the real world. Throughout the build, Skylark provides founders with strategic insights and expert support.We help them launch faster, cheaper, and better than traditional agencies, Steven Kleinveld, the startups CEO and co-founder, tells TNW. And we do that mainly due to our framework.Kleinveld has strong links to TNW. He recently completed an internship as a startup scout at TNW Programs, which he credits with kickstarting his plans for Skylark. He has also chosen TNW City for Skylarks headquarters.From the Amsterdam office, hes developed a roadmap to quickly deliver MVPs.The process begins with an assessment of the clients needs and goals. After setting out the deliverables and timelines, Skylark analyses the market and competition to refine the project plan. Developers then build a flexible, code-based prototype.Finally, the prototype is refined into a polished MVP. Clients also receive the full codebase and advice on how to use it. Additionally, Skylark offers further guidance on features, design, SEO, and strategy.The plans aim to solve common problems for non-technical founders.Kleinveld (right) and Skylark co-founder Arshad Khan at TNW City. Credit: SkylarkTechnical issues for foundersMany of the worlds most successful startups had non-technical founders, from Pinterests Ben Silbermann and Airbnbs Brian Chesky to Tinders Whitney Wolfe Herd and Snaps Evan Spiegel. But there could have been many more. Countless big ideas never become big businesses, because the minds behind them are short on coding skills.Kleinveld has first-hand experience of the issues. While studying business at the University of Amsterdam, he attempted to code his own projects.Im not overly technical, and it took me months to build not even MVPs, but just apps. And it frustrated me, because I had so many ideas, he said.He discovered that many other entrepreneurs experienced similar problems. One common issue was that lengthy development cycles led them to miss the ideal time for market entry. Another was lacking the technical expertise to evaluate and collaborate with developers.Skylark aims to resolve these problems.Key to the plans is an array of AI enhancements to the development process. Among them are the app builder Loveable one of Europes fastest-growing startups the code builder Cursor, and the versatile ChatGPT Pro.By blending AI with a product delivery framework and a pool of developers, Skylark hopes to give flight to a new flock of founders. As Kleinveld puts it: If the idea is stuck on the ground, we launch it into the sky.Whether youre a non-technical founder or a coding genius, this summers TNW Conference will offer numerous insights on building successful startups. The event takes place on June 19-20 in Amsterdam. To get 30% off your ticket, use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the check-out. Story by Thomas Macaulay Managing editor Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he e (show all) Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse). Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

Aqara keeps on a hot srreak in 2025 with a host of new products. After its new HomeKit Secure Video camera, the Aqara LED Bulb T2 is the companys latest smart lighting option, bringing a nice combination of Thread and Zigbee support. Matter support, Zigbee Adaptive Lighting, and ultra-wide color tuning make it a solid addition to any HomeKit environment.HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apples smart home framework.HomeKit bulb woesFor whatever reason, bulbs are the HomeKit device I have the most trouble with (i.e., no response error). The Aqara LED Bulb T2 aims to support Matter over Thread for future-proof compatibility and offer Zigbee for advanced customization if you have a Zigbee setup. If youre already in the Aqara ecosystem with an Aqara hub, the integration with Zigbee enables features like multi-device grouping, custom dimming curves, and smooth light transitions.Key featuresWireless Protocols: Supports Thread, Zigbee, and BluetoothHomeKit Compatibility: Works with HomeKit, Adaptive Lighting (Zigbee only)Matter Support: Compatible with Google, Amazon, and Samsung via Thread for cross-platform useColor Options:RGB CCT Version: 16 million colors, tunable white (2000K-9000K)CCT Version: Tunable white (2700K-6500K)Brightness:E26 Model: Up to 1100lm (75W equivalent)GU10 Model: Up to 450lm (30W equivalent)Color Rendering Index (CRI): Ra>90 for accurate colorsAdaptive Lighting: Automatically adjusts color temperature (Zigbee only, not HomeKit Adaptive Lighting)Multi-Device Grouping: Sync multiple Aqara bulbs in the Aqara Home appCustom Lighting Effects: Dimming curve control, customizable transitions, and dynamic effectsPower-Off Memory: Configurable settings to retain last state after power outageAdding to HomeKitSetting up the Aqara LED Bulb T2 in HomeKit is simple. If you have aThread border router(HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K), the T2 can connect viaMatter over ThreadInstall the Bulb: Screw in the bulb and turn it on. Simple enough, huh?Adding it in HomeKit: Open theHome app, tap the+ icon, and scan theHomeKit QR codeon the bulb or manual. If using Zigbee, ensure yourAqara hubis already set up.Customize in the Home App: Once its onboarded to HomeKit, youll add the bulb to a room. Youll then be able to add it to scenes, automations, adjust the color, and much more. Pair it with a HomeKit motion sensor to unlock some really nice automations as well.Wrap upAs I mentioned at the beginning, Aqara is off to a hot start in 2025 with a host of new products. With a competitive price point, Matter via Thread, and strong Zigbee features, this might be one of the best new smart home bulbs on the market.You can buy it from Amazon.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

iOS 18s new Control Center has proven to be much more than a one-off design change. Apple has steadily added new capabilities to Control Center via software updates, and iOS 18.4 continues that trend in a big way thanks to several nice upgrades.#1: New Ambient Music controlsiOS 18.4 introduces a whole new section of controls called Ambient Music. Here youll find the following four controls:ChillProductivitySleepWellbeingEach of these let you quickly trigger an Apple Music playlist that fits the given mood. You can also configure your chosen control to play a different playlist by defaulteither one you manually set yourself, or a recommended built-in.Ambient Music controls can be resized to take up one, two, or four slots inside Control Center, and they can also be assigned to your iPhones Action Button or Lock Screen.#2: Visual Intelligence & Talk to SiriIn the newly renamed Apple Intelligence and Siri section of Control Centers catalog, there are two new options.Joining the existing Type to Siri toggle, you can now also add Talk to Siri and Visual Intelligence as new controls.The former triggers Siri in voice mode, just like the side button does. The latter enables a key Apple Intelligence camera feature, which was formerly iPhone 16-exclusive, to also come to the iPhone 15 Pro and 16e despite the lack of Camera Control. Visual Intelligence makes an especially nice Action Button assignment.#3: Control Centers design updates in iOS 18.4Apple also has several design enhancements included with iOS 18.4. So far those changes include:Focus control adding up and down arrowsBrightness slider changing animations based on levelVolume slider similarly animates dynamicallyThe Focus change makes it clear that you can tap the arrows to view your full lineup of Focus modes. It sits on the right side of the toggle, while hitting the left side turns the current Focus on and off.iOS 18.4s brightness and volume slider animations show off some of the fun design flourishes Apple is known for. With the brightness slider, for example, youll see the sun grow smaller and dimmer or larger and brighter based on your brightness setting.iOS 18.4 Control Center: wrap-upControl Center has gone through several updates over the course of its lifespan, but the latest iteration keeps proving itself the best. The ability for users to fully customize their own Control Center setups, and choose from a wide range of controls thats always growing, has made for a winning combination. iOS 18.4s additions only continue Apples success making Control Center better than ever.Which iOS 18.4 Control Center changes are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Centibillionaire Elon Musk has been tearing through the federal government, operating under the theory that many of its workers have been doing little at work as they cash paychecks on the taxpayers' dime.But it sounds like he may have been indulging in exactly the type of lazy misuse of the workday he's weaponized in his cost-cutting escapade. New reporting by Politico has revealed that Chris Young once an ascendant GOP field organizer and now Musk's top political adviser is operating as Musk's errand boy, procuring equipment including a "massive TV for Musks office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building so he could play video games."The revelation is appalling but not exactly surprising. Musk's gaming habit is well documented, and he recently bragged not only that he was among the top 20 Diablo IV players in the world but that he had a Path of Exile 2 character ranked 12th on the game's Hardcore leaderboards at least before losing it on an embarrassing livestream and admitting he'd paid a skilled player to level up his account.If you thought Musk had left those adolescent habits behind as he became one of the most powerful figures in the world, Politico's reporting builds on a photo that emerged last month showing that his DOGE office contained a gaming PC and matching monitor.And despite being the richest man in history, the DOGE czar's gaming rigis pretty dingy."Appalling cable management," quipped on Bluesky user, disgusted by Musk's lackadaisical approach to wire organizing. Others pointed out the fact that he had no mousepad, a pretty glaring offense in the gaming world.Going pixel by pixel, some sleuths deduced that Musk was running an RTX 4060 or 4070 graphics card on his rig a modest choice considering Musk's beefy 49-inch Samsung Odyssey monitor. As Tom's Hardware put it, that's like"putting a lawn mower engine in a muscle car."Nitpicking aside, it's been a little over month since Musk bragged that "DOGE is working 120 hours a week" just about 17 hours a day, including weekends. We'd love to see how the billionaire manages to juggle that along with his gaming, six major companies, and 14 known kids.For now though, we'll just have to take his word on it unless he wants to write an email detailing what he did last week, that is.Share This Article

Unelected White House advisor Elon Musk retweeted a post on Thursday that blamed the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong on we are not making this up public sector workers."Stalin, Mao, and Hitler didn't murder millions of people," the post, which he shared to his over 200 million followers, reads. "Their public sector workers did."The baffling tweet further highlights Musk's toxic embrace of extreme right-wing beliefs. The billionaire's well-documented antisemitism came to a head earlier this year when he performed two Hitler salutes during Trump's inauguration celebration. Musk has also made light of the Holocaust by making distatestul Nazi puns on his social media network.The entrepreneur also made an appearance at a rally for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right nationalist party, telling the attending crowd that "there is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that."The post also highlights Musk's long-established disdain for public sector workers. With the help of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, the mercurial CEO has gutted government agencies while laying off thousands.His latest retweet drew an overwhelmingly shocked response."Americas public service workers our nurses, teachers, firefighters, librarians chose making our communities safe, healthy and strong over getting rich," said Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the country's largest public sector union, in a statement. "They are not, as the worlds richest man implies, genocidal murderers.""Elon Musk and the billionaires in this administration have no idea what real people go through every day," Saunders added. "Thats why hes so willing to take a chainsaw to peoples jobs, Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare.""Elon Musks disgusting defense of Hitler, Stalin and Mao is deranged," the Democratic Majority for Israel tweeted. "For an American official to try to whitewash the role of leaders who ordered mass murder is reprehensible and unacceptable.""Musk should be removed," the group wrote. "He must apologize and accept counseling and education on the evils of the Holocaust and other episodes of mass murder."The baffling tweet leaves plenty of questions unanswered. Does Musk genuinely think that public sector workers are really to blame for the atrocities committed by perpetrators of genocide? What does Musk have to gain from sharing such a callous argument?Users on social media were left appalled."Musk is an absolutely depraved and evil man," one user on Bluesky wrote. "Defending Stalin, Hitler, and Mao in order to justify firing VA nurses and park rangers? How does one come to hate civil servants so much? Insane, and dangerous."Others pointed out that Musk's secretive cabal of DOGE operatives currently rampaging through the US government closely resembles the close ranks of leaders who actually carried out their crimes."So many of the murderers in these regimes were not career civil servants, but political toadies who jumped over existing cadres of civil servants because they could implement their dictator's will quickly," another user wrote. "Just like DOGE."On Musk's own social media platform, users took a lighter tone."We have reached the 'Hitler did nothing wrong' stage of Elon Musk totally not being a Nazi," one user tweeted.More on Musk and Hitler: Elon Musk Has a Major Problem: Tesla Investors Are Absolutely Disgusted With HimShare This Article

Mar 14, 2025Ravie LakshmananCybercrime / RansomwareA 51-year-old dual Russian and Israeli national who is alleged to be a developer of the LockBit ransomware group has been extradited to the United States, nearly three months after he was formally charged in connection with the e-crime scheme.Rostislav Panev was previously arrested in Israel in August 2024. He is said to have been working as a developer for the ransomware gang from 2019 to February 2024, when the operation's online infrastructure was seized in a law enforcement exercise."Rostislav Panev's extradition to the District of New Jersey makes it clear: if you are a member of the LockBit ransomware conspiracy, the United States will find you and bring you to justice," said United States Attorney John Giordano.LockBit grew to become one of the most prolific ransomware groups, attacking more than 2,500 entities in at least 120 countries around the world. Nearly 1,800 of those were located in the United States.Victims consisted of individuals and small businesses to multinational corporations, including hospitals, schools, nonprofit organizations, critical infrastructure, and government and law-enforcement agencies.The syndicate's cybercrime spree has netted at least $500 million in illicit profits, causing billions of dollars to victims in the form of lost revenue and costs from incident response and recovery.Panev, in his role as a developer of LockBit, was responsible for designing and maintaining the locker's codebase, earning approximately $230,000 between June 2022 and February 2024."Among the work that Panev admitted to having completed for the LockBit group was the development of code to disable antivirus software; to deploy malware to multiple computers connected to a victim network; and to print the LockBit ransom note to all printers connected to a victim network," the Justice Department said."Panev also admitted to having written and maintained LockBit malware code and to having provided technical guidance to the LockBit group."Besides Panev, six other LockBit members, Mikhail Vasiliev, Ruslan Astamirov, Artur Sungatov, Ivan Gennadievich Kondratiev, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, and Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, have been charged in the U.S. Khoroshev has also been outed as LockBit's administrator, going by the online alias LockBitSupp.In addition, Khoroshev, Matveev, Sungatov, and Kondratyev have been sanctioned by the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for their roles in launching cyber attacks.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Appropriately, given the titleFreakier Friday, the long-awaitedFreaky Friday sequel doesnt just find Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan swapping bodies as mother and daughter again. InFreakier Friday, Curtis and Lohans characters swap bodies with Lohans daughter and new step-daughter played by Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons. Yep, a four-person body swap. Freaky, indeed.The film, made some 22 years after Freaky Fridaybecame a hit (and almost 50 years after the originalFreaky Friday movie starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris), also features returning appearances by Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray, and also features Manny Jacinto as Lohans new beau.The trailer also features Vanessa Bayer as a fortune teller who appears to play some role in the characters latest switcheroo. Watch theFreakier Fridayteaser trailer below:READ MORE: 20 Movie Sequels You Forgot ExistedTheres also a new poster forFreakier Friday that pays homage to the famous poster from the 2003Freaky Friday.FREAKIER FRIDAYDisneyloading...For comparisons sake, here is that earlier poster...DisneyDisneyloading...Here is thenew sequels official synopsis:In the film, Curtis and Lohan reprise their roles as Tess and Anna Coleman. The storypicks up years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured an identity crisis. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter.As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.Freakier Fridayis scheduled to open in theaters on August 8.Get our free mobile appRemakes That Were Drastically Different From the OriginalAlthough technically remakes, these movies took a lot of liberties with their source material.